Despite what many believe, the United States of America was founded in order to avoid religious intolerance and freedom of and from religion was written into the Constitution.

a) "In God We Trust" was printed on the money being in the 1950's. This motto would not pass the lemon test (government shall not promote any religion). b) Although it shouldn't be anybody's business, politicians' religious beliefs are put in the spot light. For example, many claimed Obama is a Muslim and didn't want to vote for him because of that. Romney is a Mormon. The Australian PM is atheist. c) People are trying to throw out science and teach religion in our public schools. Religion has no place in these schools to brainwash our children. School is for learning and evolution is fact, not creationism or ID. d) During holidays, there are posted signs of "keep Christ in Christmas" on public/government property. Besides being inaccurate, this will not pass the lemon test. e) Politicians and others are using their religion as bases for laws such as gay marriage and abortion. No religion should be forced on everybody (freedom of religion).

Stances on opinions that affect the majority

This past week there has been a big uprising in anti-support of gay marriage after the supreme court hearings. Not to say that there wasn't an uprising of support as well, however, it is true that almost every who said that they were against gay marriage and rights said they were because of religious reasons. This is the biggest reason it has not been approved in our government. This is said considering that there are already 14 nations where gay marriage is legal.

Yes, the U.S. is supposed to have separation of church and state, and there are too many laws with religious foundations.

The U.S. government should not be influenced by religious groups. There have been too many discriminatory laws based on religious ideas. Forbidding mixed race couples to marry, forbidding women to vote, allowing states to make laws that exclude blacks from voting, not allowing gay couples to marry and outlawing abortion are all past and present laws with bases in religion. Laws should be based on fairness and reason, not religion and superstition.

First Amendment of the United States Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Not every one in Islam religion is a terrorist.

Everyone in the U.S. Government seem to think that every one who is of the Islamic religion is a terrorist. That is not true a lot of terrorists do come from that religion but that dose not mean that every one who believes in that is a terrorist. The government needs to think before they speak.

Why all of the religion in our government?

It seems slightly like schools are teaching a little bit of religion to a lot of it and this is a very bad thing because some students are not getting their actual teaching in and even though that the government has religion in it (even the money they print shows it) they shouldn't be passing it on to little kids who can't really think that much for themselves.

Religion has a growing influence in the U.S. Government that is distracting lawmakers.

Religion has a growing influence in the U.S. Government that is distracting lawmakers. For example, in the recent health care debate, Obama had to sign an executive order that federal funds would not be used for abortion so that this important legislation could be passed even though he personally has no objection to abortion. This is evidence that religion and religious conservatives are using religion to drive their agenda to the detriment of the country.

Yes, religion has too much influence in our government.

One of the biggest issues today (god only knows why) is gay marriage. Lets think here. The only reason why anyone thinks that gays and gay marriage is wrong is because of religious scriptures which tell us so. This country was founded on the idea that church and state should be separate. That anyone can practice any religion without fear of persecution. Yet time and time again, we persecute others based on our own religious beliefs. This is ridiculous. Mind you I am a straight, married male about to have my first child. The amount of garbage spewed out into the media on behalf of mostly Christian religions has gone way beyond the acceptable level. Countless laws exist on the state and local levels prohibiting some activities on Sundays. The fact that sodomy is illegal in Texas. These are all religion inspired laws, and they have no place in out government. We cannot even fully enforce most of these laws. They are a waste of the paper they are printed on, and the tax dollars they squander.

Yes, it has way to much influence in our government.

Look at japan, its almost an entire atheist country and there economy is booming, except for the fact of the earthquake and tsunami, and there soposed to bounce back and have an even greater economy then bofore. so "God" has nothing to do with our government, nor is he even real.

I'm doing a project about this.

People expect that their religious beliefs should be taken into consideration when it's time to make laws in the U.S. People fought so hard in the 1700's to separate church and state, and now when it is convenient people are using the bible to govern society. How can people expect literature over 3500 years old to govern today's world?

When the U.S. government was formed, it was one nation under God. Now God is nowhere to be seen in the government, and it has started to fail. If religion was put back into the moral fiber of our country, it would still stand strong. If religion is omitted, there is no consequences, and the government has no moral fiber to stand on, thus giving the public no faith in their abilities to successfully run our country.

You have only to look at the evidence of removing God from the school system, which is now an unsafe war zone for everyone involved. Historically, the more you remove God from any society, the more immoral and evil it becomes. What would we do without our Biblically based Judeo-Christian judicial system? Even with its flaws on a human level, society would be even more chaotic than it is now, which is unimaginable. People who oppose "Christianity" typically want to continue to love their own sin, and do not want to be confronted with it. It is a profound and tragic mistake to try and separate God from anything, including and especially our governments.

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington believed in a limited deity, yet found it acceptable to own slaves. This nation was founded upon property rights, avoidance of any outside influences, and bodily harm. The nation has never been free of internal influences. Thus Christian founders and their progeny have purported to act and liveusing principles of their religion, that is why it took so long to overcome slavery, and Jim Crow. That is why it is now taking so long to overcome the evil of abortion and euthanasia, and capital punishment. It is because of the apathy and sinfulness of Christians who fail to act or are themselves sinful. Our constitution says we have rights, but it fails to explicate responsibilities that antecede every one of those rights. Further it fails to detail the relationship between man and God from which these responsibilities eminate. It is the failure of religion to exert sufficient influence upon government which has led directly to the culture of death, secular humanism, and moral relativism experienced in our diverse U.S. society today.

In God we trust!

Our nation was founded on Christian religious beliefs, therefore if Christianity influences our government then it is only because it was there from the beginning, and because IT should influence our government. If truth be told, religion (Christianity) does not influence our government enough...if it did we would not have many of the problems we have in government today.

That's why the America was the most powerful in the world before.

If you check and read the speeches of the first presidents like Thomas Jefferson, or Abraham Lincoln, or any other President, they always thanked God for everything and you can tell that they really relied on God. That's why China is getting stronger because people are being witnessed( by the Word of God) by missionaries and they worship secretly underground even though they're not allowed. Even in schools before, they were allowed to pray and read their Bibles. But now, no more. It really is depressing that people are carelessly voting for the wrong people to run the government. That's why America's economy is going down. If government officials work by trusting God, this country will go on the right way because in God, nothing is impossible and He has a plan for this country as long as we listen to Him..

Why has the definition of what is perversion changed over recent years?

I believe the correct question should be, do gay rights groups have too much influence with in the U.S. Government?With the amount of money that these minority gay groups get from the government to force feed the American public their opinions, it is no wonder the nations concept of what is normally considered perverted is so contrary to what it was.Why did the majority of Americans become afraid to stand up for what they believe in... And just give in?

Religion isn't leaving

Our nation was created based off of religion so why throw it out? Has anyone ever thought about how evolution was created or why etc? What harm is it doing to you or your kids if someone wants to pray in school or if they do or don't support certain social issues. Worry about what you're doing with your life and not how others live theirs. These upcoming generations have no morals, me being 18 I see it first hand. Theres no morals, no respect, religion helps shape and form morals. Not all Christians believe that if you're gay you go to hell, that's a stereotype. Why do we feel murder is illegal? The bible started it, why is infidelity looked down upon? Morals. We have been shaped by religion and like it or not its how this country was made.

Religion does not have too much influence within the U.S. government because I believe they work with a secular mindset.

I don't think key players in the government make their decisions with religion as their primary purpose. It would be risky for them as elected officials and politicians to do so. They understand we operate under separation of Church and State here in the USA. While they may openly attend church, they would not want to be branded as a religious zealot.

Religion doesn't have enough influence within the government of any nation.

Religion is a valuable asset in that it provides people a direction to their actions which is designed and determined to make people better than they are. It isn't that taking religion out of the picture makes people evil, but rather that the lack of religion tends towards a pointless existence. When we have no sense of purpose, which religion brings to us, then we don't really know what to do from one situation to the next. When we allow religion to influence our government, we allow the values that most of us place stock in to influence our lives in general.

It's 50/50, straight down the middle in both my faith and constitution.Religion is part of the balance.

Oddly enough if your religion stands for put no God's before me,concerning one nation under God as a sister law what could I say about it?Maybe that's not it. What laws does your religion break?States vary in law. Some states actually have law on adultery.Michigan treats it as a felony.I'm sure whom commits this crime would say too much influence.I myself think it's an ok law. We enforce judicially 5 of the ten commandments (desiring property is not a crime itself. It could lead to theft). When government is thought of as a whole I wouldn't say it has too much religion.

Having the audacity to call compliments,looking,etc. "sexual" socalled hassling is linked to stupidity. And what everyone is failing to say here is how the book of Proverbs words about making a man an offender is being misquoted and misused to justify this pathetic idea of socalled correctness with the insinuation that it has to be political. Political supposed correctness is from the Devil and his demons. The U.S. Government is going to burn in hell for passing laws like this that do not honour God. Men should have had the right to compliment womens bosoms,cleavage and rears in public and not had it misjudged on this machine called the internet. The sexual pestering law shouldnt be in effect to force that on everyone like some sort of straight jacket. The Bible should not be being profaned to justify arresting those who compliment women in public.